Rent Horse Feathers (1932)
3.9 of 5 from 61 ratings
1h 3min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
The quintessential Marx Brothers comedy. Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and yes, Zeppo, are at their manic peak in this uproariously anarchic parody of college life. As the fun-loving president of Huxley College, Groucho tries to keep the student body in line while attempting to keep his own body near a flirtatious floozie (Thelma Todd) who is secretly trying to rig the big football game between Huxley and arch rival Darwin University. Plot aside, and it usually is, Horse Feathers contains some of the greatest sequences in movie comedy history, including a classic schoolroom shoot-out between Groucho and students Harpo and Chico, as well as an unforgettable football game finale. Other gems include each brother offering his personal rendition of "Everyone Says I Love You" and a speak-easy sequence that will forever give meaning to the word "swordfish". The fourth and perhaps funniest Marx Brothers comedy boasts a script by immortal humorist S.J. Perelman, songs by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby (including Groucho's theme, "I'm Against It") and direction by the great Norman McLeod. - Actors:
- Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, The Marx Brothers, Zeppo Marx, Thelma Todd, David Landau, Bobby Barber, Reginald Barlow, Vince Barnett, Sheila Bromley, E.H. Calvert, Edgar Dearing, Robert Greig, Theresa Harris, Edward LeSaint, Florine McKinney, Nat Pendleton, James Pierce, Frank Rice
- Directors:
- Norman Z. McLeod
- Producers:
- Herman J. Mankiewicz
- Writers:
- Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, S.J. Perelman, Will B. Johnstone, Arthur Sheekman
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy
- Collections:
- A Brief History of Films About American Football, All the Twos: 1902-62, Introducing the Thesping Olympians, Paramount's Laughing Thirties, A Brief History of Film..., Top 100 AFI Laughs, Top Films
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Reviews (1) of Horse Feathers
Lesser Entry. - Horse Feathers review by Steve
For their 1920s stage productions the Marx Brothers were fortunate to draw on the scripts of George Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, two of the best comic writers on Broadway and in Hollywood. These were adapted for the act's first two films. SJ Perelman wrote this one as an original screenplay and it isn't quite at the same level.
Nothing exposes the thin material quite as much as so many of Zeppo's scenes surviving the edit. More than usual. Yet the Marx Brothers are always fun and this still has their customary anarchic energy. Groucho becomes President of an Ivy League college and enrols Chico and Harpo to win them the intra-varsity football cup...
The most famous sketch is the 'password is Swordfish' routine which is a pretty good tumble of crazy puns. And Chico's stream of malapropisms is the best part of the film. Groucho's digressions are disappointing. Margaret Dumont is regrettably absent, though Thelma Todd is game support and gives the screen some genuine sex appeal.
All four brothers sing Everyone Says I Love You- well, Harpo plays it on the harp- which years later was adapted as the title number for the Woody Allen musical. They all do their beloved schtick, but the gags aren't there. For me, this is the least of their early Paramount comedies. They were back on form the following year with Duck Soup.
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